And so the knockout rounds have begun ... crashing out so far are the United States, England, South Korea and Mexico, with Uruguay, Ghana, Germany and Argentina moving one step closer to eternal glory. So here’s a recap of those round-of-16 games already played and a preview of the other half left.
Uruguay vs. South Korea: Not a big name match-up, but a thrilling match to start the knockout rounds with. Two vastly different styles came together: the South Americans, with their heavy dose of possession and attacking flair against good combination play and fantastic work rate of South Korea. Two goals, the latter an absolute wondergoal, from Uruguay’s Luis Suarez was enough to propel them into the quarterfinals. South Korea made a tremendous push, but it just fell short. Suarez had been largely disappointing thus far, failing to emerge from the shadow of fellow striker Diego Forlan, but has showed up at the right time. A big-time scorer in the Dutch League, Suarez will most likely have earned himself a big transfer to European football from Ajax. Uruguay switched to three in the attack since their opening game and the introduction of another forward, Edinson Cavani, has opened up more space for Suarez and allowed Forlan to drop a bit deeper and take on the responsibility of playmaker for Uruguay. They look a force to be reckoned with come the quarterfinals.
USA vs. Ghana: The inability to start strong at the beginning of a period, once again, was the Yanks Achilles heel as they fell to Ghana, 2-1, via overtime. They came out flat at the beginning of the game, being completely played off the pitch before Kevin Prince-Boateng’s first half goal, before coming back with a resilient second-half performance. Yet they failed to capitalize on the momentum that came with Landon Donovan’s PK goal after Clint Dempsey was taken down in the box and were forced to pay the consequences. Asamoah Gyan exposed the United States lack of athleticism in the back and scored a fine individual goal to condemn the U.S. to an early flight back home to the states. This time it was too late to stage a final comeback and the lack of available substitutions left sealed the deal. Once again, Bob Bradley’s tactical decisions have to be called into question ... Why is Ricardo Clark on the field, let alone on the 23-man roster? Time after time he has been given opportunities and failed to justify them. A turnover waiting to happen, his giveaway in the first half was eerily similar to Claudio Reyna’s in 2006 against ... you guessed it, Ghana, and once again the United States have been sent home by the Black Stars. In the end, the United States didn’t deserve to go any further, they lack a consistent goal scorer, like Gyan, a creative force in the middle of the park, as well as lacking center backs with the ability to handle top level forwards. You can only ride luck so far, and you can’t be missing that many pieces of the puzzle and expect to advance to the quarters of the World Cup. Credit to Ghana though, the only African team to advance came out of the gates blazing. They might miss the calming influence of superstar Michael Essien, but seeing Inter Milan star Sulley Muntari ride the bench shows you how deep they really are. U-20 World Cup Champs in 2009, they’re much stronger than the team in 2006 and will be a handful for Uruguay in their quarterfinal clash to come.
England vs. Germany: Fierce European rivals with lots of World Cup history against each other, this was the first true clash of heavyweights in the knockout rounds. This was, just as it’s always hyped up as, ‘England’s World Cup’. The influence of manager Fabio Capello, the final piece to the puzzle, England was supposedly ready to justify their claims as a World Cup favorite. Germany however, is a tournament team and they always have been. Having made it to the semifinals in their home country in 2006, Germany looks ready to take the next step following their drubbing of England earlier today. Two early goals from two written-off strikers got the ball rolling for the Germans and they never really looked back. Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski, only having scored a handful of goals all season between the two of them, both rewarded the faith of manager Joachim Loew and provided great goals to shock England. England pulled one back through Matthew Upson and were cruelly denied an equalizer when Frank Lampard’s shot clearly crossed the line before heading in 2-1 down at halftime. Germany put the game away mid-second half via two goals from youngster Thomas Muller and the better team won. There will continue to be a lot of whining from the Brits following the game, but if any of them watched the whole match, it will be clear to them that Germany was a level above them and were scoring at will. Going into the quarterfinals, Germany looks stronger than ever. Largely synonymous with physical, defensive minded play, this younger version of Germany looks a bit like a hybrid. They still have the size and grit in back in the form of Per Mertesacker and Arne Friedrich, but on the offensive side of the ball they look as exciting and dangerous as ever. The accomplished passing and tackling provided by central midfielders Sami Khedira and Bastian Schweinsteiger allows Germany to basically attack with a front four. Mueller and Podolski provide width and support for Klose up top, while Mesut Ozil pulls the strings while roaming all around the field. They’re going to be tough to stop.
Argentina vs. Mexico: South American soccer against North America’s best imitation of South American soccer is what this game offered. Mexico was bright in the first 15 minutes or so and looked the most likely to score, but I always had confidence that Argentina was destined to win this game. They had an easy time qualifying from the group stages and just needed a bit of time to settle in and find their footing against a higher level of opponent. And for a second time in the same day, a controversial goal was provided. This time Carlos Tevez opened the scoring, heading in Lionel Messi’s chip. Replays showed Tevez had clearly started from an offside position and Mexico began to self-destruct on the spot. Surrounding the assistant referee who was at fault, imploring (to put it nicely) with him to change his mind, you just had a feeling that it was only going to go downhill from there for the Mexicans. Before you knew it, Gonzalo Higuain had pounced on a moment of indecision from Ricardo Osario and was composed enough to round Oscar Perez and pass in from about six yards to give Argentina a two-goal cushion. By the time Carlos Tevez pile-drived home a third, Mexico looked ready to concede. A late consolation from Manchester United’s new signing, Javier Hernandez, was a day late, dollar short. Argentina, a team so many had questioned leading into the World Cup has now won every game they’ve played this tournament and look ready to avenge their ’06 penalty kick loss to the German’s. Diego Maradona might not be a tactical genius (although his three-pronged forward attack has worked wonders thus far); one thing he clearly has done is brought an immense feeling of team unity to Argentina. The players are rarely not hugging, smiling, or offering a customary, congratulatory kiss on the cheek to fellow teammates. Their match-up against Germany is a match you cannot afford to miss.
This weekend has already spoiled us with great matches, but Monday and Tuesday offers plenty of great games to come as well. The attacking flair of the Dutch prepare to face off against the staunch defense of Slovakia, while FIFA’s number one ranked Brazil prepare to do battle against dynamic South American neighbors Chile to round up Monday’s action. Tuesday brings a match of two surprise knockout round teams: Paraguay and Japan and the much-anticipated match-up of European powerhouses Spain and Portugal. The Netherlands, buoyed by a newfound width in attack due to the return of talisman Arjen Robben look likely victors over Slovakia, but will have to be careful to shut down tournament joint-top scorer Robert Vittek and find a way through a defense anchored by Liverpool center back Martin Skrtel. Brazil will most certainly be favorites against Chile and will certainly be happy to welcome back Elano, Kaka and Robinho to the starting 11. They will need striker Luis Fabiano to be clinical with his finishing to avoid an upset, because Chile will offer a lot of danger in attack. A big match-up will be winger Alexis Sanchez for Chile against both outside backs for Brazil, Maicon and Michel Bastos. Paraguay will most likely move through as well to continue South America’s domination of the tournament so far. Japan will put up a good fight, but in the end I think Paraguay’s front line will be a bit too much to handle for them. Last but not least, Spain will most likely come through victorious against Portugal in the final round of 16 game on Tuesday. Portugal have a water-tight defense and haven’t lost in 19 matches, but Spain’s embarrassment of riches in attack provide them with more than one key to unlock any defense. David Villa’s red-hot form will most likely continue and if Fernando Torres finds any semblance of his form from Euro 2008, Portugal will bow out. Portugal’s only hope rests in the shape of Cristiano Ronaldo. Having finally scored in the 7-0 thrashing of North Korea, he’ll have to build on that momentum for Portugal to sneak into the quarterfinals.
The win-or-go-home stage of the tournament has begun and now all of these nations are really ready to lay it on the line. It’s can’t miss stuff; so start calling in sick, set your DVR’s, or tune in on ESPN3.com in your cubicle...
Monday, June 28, 2010
Sunday, June 27, 2010
World Cup Update: Coach Chris Whalley
UWM men's soccer coach Chris Whalley checks in with some more thoughts on the World Cup:
On the USA: "I am really excited for the USA. Great way for the game to end and that they definitely deserved the victory. By far and away the better team - Algeria’s goalkeeper played fantastic and kept them in it. In the end, they came through and got a goal and that was just great. The USA can go on from there. They have a good shot at the bracket if they can beat Ghana, they just need to take it one game at a time."
On England: "As an Englishman, pleased with their result. Played very well on the day and missed some chances, really similar to the U.S. Didn’t get a goal in such dramatic fashion, but definitely deserved to win. After seeing Germany play, I am confident England can go through as well."
On the overall way the World Cup has gone: "A lot of the big, so-called powers in soccer are struggling – obviously Italy has gone out, France has gone out. Exciting to see smaller nations – the non-soccer nations – coming through. It’s good for world soccer in general. I think the coverage has been great. I am really pleased with all of the games and being live. It’s great for soccer in the states. Great to see the USA go through and hopefully they can both wrestle away some wins. Maybe beat Ghana, take it one step further and go from there. It’s been a great World Cup so far."
On the USA: "I am really excited for the USA. Great way for the game to end and that they definitely deserved the victory. By far and away the better team - Algeria’s goalkeeper played fantastic and kept them in it. In the end, they came through and got a goal and that was just great. The USA can go on from there. They have a good shot at the bracket if they can beat Ghana, they just need to take it one game at a time."
On England: "As an Englishman, pleased with their result. Played very well on the day and missed some chances, really similar to the U.S. Didn’t get a goal in such dramatic fashion, but definitely deserved to win. After seeing Germany play, I am confident England can go through as well."
On the overall way the World Cup has gone: "A lot of the big, so-called powers in soccer are struggling – obviously Italy has gone out, France has gone out. Exciting to see smaller nations – the non-soccer nations – coming through. It’s good for world soccer in general. I think the coverage has been great. I am really pleased with all of the games and being live. It’s great for soccer in the states. Great to see the USA go through and hopefully they can both wrestle away some wins. Maybe beat Ghana, take it one step further and go from there. It’s been a great World Cup so far."
Friday, June 25, 2010
Knockout Round - Five More Thoughts On The World Cup
While you wait for some of our more qualified experts to check in with their latest thoughts on the World Cup, here are five more thoughts as we head into the knockout round.
Run-Up Form Matters … In advance of the World Cup, experts were concerned about sides like Italy and France, and sure enough those two power countries are no longer with us. Meanwhile, sides like Germany and Spain had stumbles of their own in the group stage, yet were highly thought of entering the tournament and indeed wound up advancing with some comfort. Actually, look even at the U.S. and its run up – suspect defending but a feisty attitude and the ability to put some balls in the back of the next. That is pretty much what played out for the Americans.
Shock Semifinalist … It has been noticed in multiple places that the path to the semifinals for the U.S. can be considered workable. Regardless of whether it is the U.S. or not, though, that part of the bracket will deliver a surprising semifinalist. Remember, Uruguay only got into the tournament thanks to a playoff win over Costa Rica, while Ghana is without its best player. Then, while South Korea did advance to the semis in 2002, most chalked it up to being at home and some fortunate officiating. The other three semifinalists seem destined to be big names, but one will be a rank outsider.
Never A Breath For The English … First, there was the “embarrassing” tie with the U.S., then the calamitous draw with Algeria. Fabio Capello’s boys did advance through with a solid win over Slovenia, but then get the gift of a match with Germany. If the English should somehow win that match, Argentina likely awaits in the quarterfinals. It’s a bracket that allows English fans everywhere to relive their greatest footballing nightmares. It does add an extra dose of drama for those of us watching from the outside, not sure whether to cheer for familiar players on display every week in the Premier League or hope for a crashing defeat.
How About South America? … All five South American sides have advanced to the knockout stages, a first-time occurrence if the quick reference on the TV is to be believed. While some of the best South American players obviously play in Europe, I’m not sure the American soccer fan has quite caught on to the depth in talent that exists south of the equator. Obviously, Brazil and Argentina have stellar reputations and histories. But, how many would run out to see a Chile/Uruguay South American qualifier like you might a France/Greece matchup? With the next World Cup in Brazil, the South American sides might be setting up for an extended run of dominance.
And The Quarterfinals Will Be … U.S./Uruguay, Germany/Argentina, Netherlands/Brazil, Spain/Paraguay. Would those be fun or what?
Run-Up Form Matters … In advance of the World Cup, experts were concerned about sides like Italy and France, and sure enough those two power countries are no longer with us. Meanwhile, sides like Germany and Spain had stumbles of their own in the group stage, yet were highly thought of entering the tournament and indeed wound up advancing with some comfort. Actually, look even at the U.S. and its run up – suspect defending but a feisty attitude and the ability to put some balls in the back of the next. That is pretty much what played out for the Americans.
Shock Semifinalist … It has been noticed in multiple places that the path to the semifinals for the U.S. can be considered workable. Regardless of whether it is the U.S. or not, though, that part of the bracket will deliver a surprising semifinalist. Remember, Uruguay only got into the tournament thanks to a playoff win over Costa Rica, while Ghana is without its best player. Then, while South Korea did advance to the semis in 2002, most chalked it up to being at home and some fortunate officiating. The other three semifinalists seem destined to be big names, but one will be a rank outsider.
Never A Breath For The English … First, there was the “embarrassing” tie with the U.S., then the calamitous draw with Algeria. Fabio Capello’s boys did advance through with a solid win over Slovenia, but then get the gift of a match with Germany. If the English should somehow win that match, Argentina likely awaits in the quarterfinals. It’s a bracket that allows English fans everywhere to relive their greatest footballing nightmares. It does add an extra dose of drama for those of us watching from the outside, not sure whether to cheer for familiar players on display every week in the Premier League or hope for a crashing defeat.
How About South America? … All five South American sides have advanced to the knockout stages, a first-time occurrence if the quick reference on the TV is to be believed. While some of the best South American players obviously play in Europe, I’m not sure the American soccer fan has quite caught on to the depth in talent that exists south of the equator. Obviously, Brazil and Argentina have stellar reputations and histories. But, how many would run out to see a Chile/Uruguay South American qualifier like you might a France/Greece matchup? With the next World Cup in Brazil, the South American sides might be setting up for an extended run of dominance.
And The Quarterfinals Will Be … U.S./Uruguay, Germany/Argentina, Netherlands/Brazil, Spain/Paraguay. Would those be fun or what?
Monday, June 21, 2010
Chris Lins On The World Cup
New Media Assistant and former Panther soccer standout Chris Lins checks in with his latest thoughts on the World Cup
The one game I was really looking forward to in the second set of games was Brazil vs. Ivory Coast and it was well worth the wait. Brazil looked good, not great, but good. I think they've improved since their opener against N. Korea and are on pace to peak & play their best soccer during the knock out stages. I stand by my pre-tournament prediction and can say that Brazil will win their 6th World Cup!
Two games out of a guaranteed three; Italy, France and England have failed to impress. Current Cup holders Italy have been the most disappointing team for me. They haven't been able to get a win yet and with their final game against an unpredictable Slovakian team, it will be very interesting to see the result.
Where do I even begin with France? Aside from the recent release of forward Nicolas Anelka and the team protesting to get him back, France has yet to find the back of the net! Just like in 2002, France failed to score and ended up on the first flight back home. I will be very surprised if France advances to the second round. It's possible, but a lot things have to happen and France needs a favorable result against the host nation South Africa in their final group game. Probably not going to happen.
With all the hype of Wayne Rooney and how solid this English side is, it's been all talk with nothing to show for it. They are currently sitting third in Group C and are set to play against group leaders Slovenia. England must win and have Algeria beat the U.S. for any chance of advancing. I really do think it's too late for England and the United States along with Slovenia will advance from this group.
Anything can happen in these last group stage games, and it usually does. This is where it gets really exciting and interesting. Can't wait!
The one game I was really looking forward to in the second set of games was Brazil vs. Ivory Coast and it was well worth the wait. Brazil looked good, not great, but good. I think they've improved since their opener against N. Korea and are on pace to peak & play their best soccer during the knock out stages. I stand by my pre-tournament prediction and can say that Brazil will win their 6th World Cup!
Two games out of a guaranteed three; Italy, France and England have failed to impress. Current Cup holders Italy have been the most disappointing team for me. They haven't been able to get a win yet and with their final game against an unpredictable Slovakian team, it will be very interesting to see the result.
Where do I even begin with France? Aside from the recent release of forward Nicolas Anelka and the team protesting to get him back, France has yet to find the back of the net! Just like in 2002, France failed to score and ended up on the first flight back home. I will be very surprised if France advances to the second round. It's possible, but a lot things have to happen and France needs a favorable result against the host nation South Africa in their final group game. Probably not going to happen.
With all the hype of Wayne Rooney and how solid this English side is, it's been all talk with nothing to show for it. They are currently sitting third in Group C and are set to play against group leaders Slovenia. England must win and have Algeria beat the U.S. for any chance of advancing. I really do think it's too late for England and the United States along with Slovenia will advance from this group.
Anything can happen in these last group stage games, and it usually does. This is where it gets really exciting and interesting. Can't wait!
Five More Thoughts On The World Cup
Associate AD-Communications Kevin O'Connor checks in with some additional World Cup thoughts
Five more thoughts on the World Cup as we head into the final matches of the group stage …
Take Back Almost Everything I Offered A Week Ago … I knew I should have never complimented the officials, though to be fair I did note controversy would eventually come. And did it ever. That poor man from Mali looked outclassed within the first 90 seconds, and the Frenchman that oversaw the Brazil/Ivory Coast match certainly didn't help improve the overall thoughts of the French at the 2010 Cup. I was more comfortable with my feelings a week ago about South Africa, even though they appear on the verge of being eliminated. And Germany went from favorites to troubled in a short amount of time, yet I still see the Germans as a real threat to advance very deep.
Oh Those French … One overwhelming observation even a casual fan can take away from this World Cup is that almost everyone hates the French. Hard to say if that is a soccer thing or more like an all the time thing, but no one has turned away from the chance to pile on. You do have to admit, the video of the guy throwing his credential at the practice field is priceless. And, as someone who was heartbroken to see Ireland wrongly eliminated by France in the qualifying playoff, I’ll admit this meltdown stuff has been entertaining. Even with some dire predictions heading into the tournament – and a warmup loss to China - it is hard to believe the French have crashed and burned like this.
As For The U.S. … All of the consternation about the officiating aside, could the U.S. have asked for much more than to know that a win over Algeria sends them through to the second round, and quite possibly through as the top team in the group? Yes, the play of the Americans has been suspect at times, in particular the penchant for giving wandering attackers ample room to roam. But, for a country that has bombed out in three of the last five World Cups, U.S. fans should be quite happy with the positioning. Now if Wednesday’s result is something other than a win, U.S. fans will also be quite within their rights to be extremely unhappy. If things go well this week, though, all of a sudden the quarterfinals are not out of the question at all.
And Those Bloody English … The internet is a wonderful thing, because my first reaction to the 0-0 draw against Algeria was to read The Sun and The Daily Mirror to see what the quick reaction was. Just imagine what the reax will be if the English don’t right the ship and go through, after all to the English fans and media the group stage was a mere formality. But no one can have watched a moment of the English over the first 180 minutes and not admit they have problems, and problems well beyond who is in goal. The English look stressed, concerned, nervous and generally a mess. One early goal could change all of that Wednesday, but if it is 0-0 or worse at half, those fancy collars on the English kits might get oh so tight.
Plenty To Still Watch … Sometimes the final matches of the group stage can be a mere formality, with many teams either having advanced to been eliminated. But, with England, the U.S., Germany, Spain and Italy – among others – needing a win to move forward, the final few days of the opening round should be full of drama.
Five more thoughts on the World Cup as we head into the final matches of the group stage …
Take Back Almost Everything I Offered A Week Ago … I knew I should have never complimented the officials, though to be fair I did note controversy would eventually come. And did it ever. That poor man from Mali looked outclassed within the first 90 seconds, and the Frenchman that oversaw the Brazil/Ivory Coast match certainly didn't help improve the overall thoughts of the French at the 2010 Cup. I was more comfortable with my feelings a week ago about South Africa, even though they appear on the verge of being eliminated. And Germany went from favorites to troubled in a short amount of time, yet I still see the Germans as a real threat to advance very deep.
Oh Those French … One overwhelming observation even a casual fan can take away from this World Cup is that almost everyone hates the French. Hard to say if that is a soccer thing or more like an all the time thing, but no one has turned away from the chance to pile on. You do have to admit, the video of the guy throwing his credential at the practice field is priceless. And, as someone who was heartbroken to see Ireland wrongly eliminated by France in the qualifying playoff, I’ll admit this meltdown stuff has been entertaining. Even with some dire predictions heading into the tournament – and a warmup loss to China - it is hard to believe the French have crashed and burned like this.
As For The U.S. … All of the consternation about the officiating aside, could the U.S. have asked for much more than to know that a win over Algeria sends them through to the second round, and quite possibly through as the top team in the group? Yes, the play of the Americans has been suspect at times, in particular the penchant for giving wandering attackers ample room to roam. But, for a country that has bombed out in three of the last five World Cups, U.S. fans should be quite happy with the positioning. Now if Wednesday’s result is something other than a win, U.S. fans will also be quite within their rights to be extremely unhappy. If things go well this week, though, all of a sudden the quarterfinals are not out of the question at all.
And Those Bloody English … The internet is a wonderful thing, because my first reaction to the 0-0 draw against Algeria was to read The Sun and The Daily Mirror to see what the quick reaction was. Just imagine what the reax will be if the English don’t right the ship and go through, after all to the English fans and media the group stage was a mere formality. But no one can have watched a moment of the English over the first 180 minutes and not admit they have problems, and problems well beyond who is in goal. The English look stressed, concerned, nervous and generally a mess. One early goal could change all of that Wednesday, but if it is 0-0 or worse at half, those fancy collars on the English kits might get oh so tight.
Plenty To Still Watch … Sometimes the final matches of the group stage can be a mere formality, with many teams either having advanced to been eliminated. But, with England, the U.S., Germany, Spain and Italy – among others – needing a win to move forward, the final few days of the opening round should be full of drama.
Friday, June 18, 2010
World Cup Thoughts - Peter Sanger
The first round of games from the Group Stages has been completed. So now, like everyone else, I’ll take on the role of analyzing what’s happened and what’s now to come! So here are the big stories so far.
Vuvuzelas: You can’t avoid hearing them; these are the horns being constantly blown throughout the duration of every game played in South Africa. Many find them annoying and there has even been a call to ban them from the tournament altogether. I’d have to disagree…every country you go to has different cultures, and often you can tell from listening to the TV. where a particular game is being played. For example, in Spain, there’s often whistling, England has team based songs, etc. Therefore, I’m not sure what the big fuss is all about. From a player’s perspective, there’s nothing I like more than playing in a loud, energy-packed stadium.
The Jabulani: Every four years, since Adidas has sponsored the tournament, a new ball debuts at each World Cup. The idea is to update it with the newest technology to make for the best soccer. I’ve had the chance to play with all of the balls dating back to 1990. It’s become somewhat of a tradition for the ball to be criticized each tournament for a number of different reasons. In the United States in ’94, the Questra ball was blamed for being too unpredictable, France ’98, people didn’t like that the Tricolore ball was colored (the first of it’s time), the Fevernova was too light-weight from 2002 Japan/Korea, the TeamGeist from Germany ’06 was even lighter, now the ball of 2010: the Jabulani. This ball has drawn complaints for its trajectory, being too light, and for a hard plastic-like feeling. Unfortunately, I have to agree. My club team of the summer recently began playing with the ball and it’s completely unpredictable. Judging aerial balls is a nightmare and playing long balls is a turnover waiting to happen. Short passing and dribbling remain unscathed, but it’s definitely putting a damper on the World Cup. A great example of the ball’s unpredictability lays in the number of goalkeeping howler’s already taken place so far this tournament. Robert Green of England and Faouzi Chaouchi of Algeria both have been guilty of misreading shots coming towards their goal and costing their team valuable points as a result!
Conservative Play: There’s been a lot of fuss about all the draws and low scoring games so far of group play. There are a number of reasons for all of these:
1) It’s a feeling out process: The first game of a country’s World Cup campaign really can set the tone for it’s whole tournament. Coming away with 0 points from a first game immediately puts you in a 3 point whole in the search for qualifying to the knockout rounds. Just like many NBA teams, it’s rare for a team to peak until later on in the tournament.
2) Once again, the Jabulani: Although it has caused two goals via goalkeeping blunders, it’s the offensive play that has been most affected so far this tournament. Taking away the ability to play quality and accurate crosses, driven passes, and long through balls is like taking away the 3-point line or the ability to throw a deep pass in football. Thus, defenses can make the field very compact, disrupting fast-flowing, short passing games that teams like Spain thrive on. Furthermore, many of these teams and players are used to playing with different balls throughout their club seasons. The only major league to have used the Jabulani before this tournament was the Bundesliga. Any guesses where that takes place? Germany, which just so happens to be made up primarily of German National team players. As a result, it’s no surprise that Germany has arguably made the brightest start to this year’s tournament.
3) Match-ups: When Switzerland, ranked 24th in the world, comes up against heavy World Cup favorite and FIFA’s 2nd ranked team in the world Spain, it only makes sense that they play more conservatively. To try and beat Spain at their own game would’ve put them in the loss column, however they packed things in defensively, stayed disciplined, and took their chances (*chance) on the counterattack and won the game 1-0. Another prime example was the 1-1 draw deemed a success by the United States against England. Largely second best throughout the match, Clint Dempsey took a chance from distance, and the United States rode tough defense and luck to a point out of largely the most anticipated game in group play.
There’s a ton of games left in group play, let alone the entire tournament, so it’s too early to read too much into any of the results so far this tournament. The Germans, Dutch, Brazil, Chile, and South Korea have all impressed while countries like Portugal, The Ivory Coast, Spain, Italy, France, and England have thus far failed to live up to the hype. In saying that, I’d caution against ruling out many of those teams. Italy looked anything but a favorite in the Group Stages before winning it all in ’06 and the same can be said about eventual champions Brazil from ’02. So after viewing the first action of the group phase I’ll leave you with a couple more players to watch as you continue taking in the world’s greatest game at the world’s greatest sporting event.
Mesut Ozil-Germany: Silky-smooth and full of creativity, Ozil used his sublime dribbling skills and accurate and penetrating passing to help Germany roll over Australia in South Africa. Ozil is thriving with the absence of Michael Ballack, taking over as the creative hub for Germany’s attack.
Alexis Sanchez-Chile: Explosive and direct are two ways to describe the way Sanchez plays. This dynamic winger showed that he’s got what it takes at the international level in an inspiring performance against Honduras. In the mold of Cristiano Ronaldo, he uses his speed and ferocious shot to catch goalkeepers on their heels.
Park Ji-Sung-South Korea: Hardly a newcomer on the international scene. Park is finally showing why he became Manchester United’s first Korean player. He’s been playing in somewhat of an anonymity after his dazzling display for South Korea in 2002, but he’s finally taken leadership of the team and scored a beautiful goal over Greece in South Korea’s round 1 win.
P.S. Don’t write off Spain yet! If you read my last post, I picked them as my eventual champions, and it wasn’t without reason. I said with a healthy Torres, Fabregas, Xavi, and Iniesta, the Spanish would thrive. With Torres looking ready to start their next match and Fabregas sure to get a chance, I think Spain can still realize their unfathomable potential.
Vuvuzelas: You can’t avoid hearing them; these are the horns being constantly blown throughout the duration of every game played in South Africa. Many find them annoying and there has even been a call to ban them from the tournament altogether. I’d have to disagree…every country you go to has different cultures, and often you can tell from listening to the TV. where a particular game is being played. For example, in Spain, there’s often whistling, England has team based songs, etc. Therefore, I’m not sure what the big fuss is all about. From a player’s perspective, there’s nothing I like more than playing in a loud, energy-packed stadium.
The Jabulani: Every four years, since Adidas has sponsored the tournament, a new ball debuts at each World Cup. The idea is to update it with the newest technology to make for the best soccer. I’ve had the chance to play with all of the balls dating back to 1990. It’s become somewhat of a tradition for the ball to be criticized each tournament for a number of different reasons. In the United States in ’94, the Questra ball was blamed for being too unpredictable, France ’98, people didn’t like that the Tricolore ball was colored (the first of it’s time), the Fevernova was too light-weight from 2002 Japan/Korea, the TeamGeist from Germany ’06 was even lighter, now the ball of 2010: the Jabulani. This ball has drawn complaints for its trajectory, being too light, and for a hard plastic-like feeling. Unfortunately, I have to agree. My club team of the summer recently began playing with the ball and it’s completely unpredictable. Judging aerial balls is a nightmare and playing long balls is a turnover waiting to happen. Short passing and dribbling remain unscathed, but it’s definitely putting a damper on the World Cup. A great example of the ball’s unpredictability lays in the number of goalkeeping howler’s already taken place so far this tournament. Robert Green of England and Faouzi Chaouchi of Algeria both have been guilty of misreading shots coming towards their goal and costing their team valuable points as a result!
Conservative Play: There’s been a lot of fuss about all the draws and low scoring games so far of group play. There are a number of reasons for all of these:
1) It’s a feeling out process: The first game of a country’s World Cup campaign really can set the tone for it’s whole tournament. Coming away with 0 points from a first game immediately puts you in a 3 point whole in the search for qualifying to the knockout rounds. Just like many NBA teams, it’s rare for a team to peak until later on in the tournament.
2) Once again, the Jabulani: Although it has caused two goals via goalkeeping blunders, it’s the offensive play that has been most affected so far this tournament. Taking away the ability to play quality and accurate crosses, driven passes, and long through balls is like taking away the 3-point line or the ability to throw a deep pass in football. Thus, defenses can make the field very compact, disrupting fast-flowing, short passing games that teams like Spain thrive on. Furthermore, many of these teams and players are used to playing with different balls throughout their club seasons. The only major league to have used the Jabulani before this tournament was the Bundesliga. Any guesses where that takes place? Germany, which just so happens to be made up primarily of German National team players. As a result, it’s no surprise that Germany has arguably made the brightest start to this year’s tournament.
3) Match-ups: When Switzerland, ranked 24th in the world, comes up against heavy World Cup favorite and FIFA’s 2nd ranked team in the world Spain, it only makes sense that they play more conservatively. To try and beat Spain at their own game would’ve put them in the loss column, however they packed things in defensively, stayed disciplined, and took their chances (*chance) on the counterattack and won the game 1-0. Another prime example was the 1-1 draw deemed a success by the United States against England. Largely second best throughout the match, Clint Dempsey took a chance from distance, and the United States rode tough defense and luck to a point out of largely the most anticipated game in group play.
There’s a ton of games left in group play, let alone the entire tournament, so it’s too early to read too much into any of the results so far this tournament. The Germans, Dutch, Brazil, Chile, and South Korea have all impressed while countries like Portugal, The Ivory Coast, Spain, Italy, France, and England have thus far failed to live up to the hype. In saying that, I’d caution against ruling out many of those teams. Italy looked anything but a favorite in the Group Stages before winning it all in ’06 and the same can be said about eventual champions Brazil from ’02. So after viewing the first action of the group phase I’ll leave you with a couple more players to watch as you continue taking in the world’s greatest game at the world’s greatest sporting event.
Mesut Ozil-Germany: Silky-smooth and full of creativity, Ozil used his sublime dribbling skills and accurate and penetrating passing to help Germany roll over Australia in South Africa. Ozil is thriving with the absence of Michael Ballack, taking over as the creative hub for Germany’s attack.
Alexis Sanchez-Chile: Explosive and direct are two ways to describe the way Sanchez plays. This dynamic winger showed that he’s got what it takes at the international level in an inspiring performance against Honduras. In the mold of Cristiano Ronaldo, he uses his speed and ferocious shot to catch goalkeepers on their heels.
Park Ji-Sung-South Korea: Hardly a newcomer on the international scene. Park is finally showing why he became Manchester United’s first Korean player. He’s been playing in somewhat of an anonymity after his dazzling display for South Korea in 2002, but he’s finally taken leadership of the team and scored a beautiful goal over Greece in South Korea’s round 1 win.
P.S. Don’t write off Spain yet! If you read my last post, I picked them as my eventual champions, and it wasn’t without reason. I said with a healthy Torres, Fabregas, Xavi, and Iniesta, the Spanish would thrive. With Torres looking ready to start their next match and Fabregas sure to get a chance, I think Spain can still realize their unfathomable potential.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
World Cup Thoughts - David Nikolic
Games have been very tactical in nature with many of the teams being more conservative. The transition play and the goals off of set pieces have played a role already. For example, the goal off the break from South Africa to get the tie and the goal off the corner kick by Italy proved to be keys for each team getting the tie and 1 point.
The South American teams have done well. Uruguay, Chile,Argentina look very good. Brazil is still in a different class even if people are upset that they are not "exciting" enough. Their group is still the toughest though.
Happy for the USA. They played well and were opportunistic to get the goal. Dempsey's goal only continues to prove the point that you cannot score unless you shoot. I hope that Howard will be healthy enough and was very impressed (probably one of the first times ever) with Michael Bradley. He did some great stuff.
Germany put on a quality performance and nobody complained about the ball from their team. Well disciplined and organized. Great goals too.
Serbia and Greece disappointed so far. And for Serbia it only gets harder with Germany next. They need 3 points.
Looking forward to the France vs. Mexico game this afternoon.
The South American teams have done well. Uruguay, Chile,Argentina look very good. Brazil is still in a different class even if people are upset that they are not "exciting" enough. Their group is still the toughest though.
Happy for the USA. They played well and were opportunistic to get the goal. Dempsey's goal only continues to prove the point that you cannot score unless you shoot. I hope that Howard will be healthy enough and was very impressed (probably one of the first times ever) with Michael Bradley. He did some great stuff.
Germany put on a quality performance and nobody complained about the ball from their team. Well disciplined and organized. Great goals too.
Serbia and Greece disappointed so far. And for Serbia it only gets harder with Germany next. They need 3 points.
Looking forward to the France vs. Mexico game this afternoon.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)